Studying the Artist : Ch'ng Kiah Kiean šļø
Welcome back to the studio! Today, weāre pulling up a chair to dive into the life and legacy of one of the most masterful figures in contemporary sketching Ch'ng Kiah Kiean.
To capture Kiah Kieanās signature look energetic lines, expressive ink washes, and a raw, atmospheric sense of place here is what youāll want to have on your table:
For the Digital Artist (Procreate/Photoshop)
The "Handmade Twig" Brush Set: Kiah Kiean is famous for using dry twigs instead of standard pens. Look for brushes labeled Dry Ink, Scratchy Inker, or Reed Pen. These give you that unpredictable, jagged line weight that lets character spill across the digital canvas.
An "Aged Paper" Overlay: To get that tactile, urban sketchbook texture we love, keep a high-res watercolor paper texture or handmade cotton rag overlay at the top of your layer stack on Multiply at 10ā15% opacity.
The Wet Bleed Brush: Essential for beginners to mimic his atmospheric water washes, allowing dark ink accents to flow seamlessly into softer grey tones.
A Desk Stand for Freedom: Elevate your tablet at an angle and try sketching from your shoulder rather than your wrist. Moving your entire arm helps you capture his loose, unconstrained energy in real-time.
For the Traditional Artist (Ink/Watercolor)
Rough Watercolor Paper: Instead of working on smooth hot press surfaces, choose heavy, rough 300gsm watercolor paper. The heavy texture catches the dry ink from your tools, leaving gorgeous gaps and broken lines.
A Minimalist Palette: Youāll want a simple, focused setupāChinese Ink (or dark Calligraphy Ink), a bottle of water for diluting washes, and a tiny hint of muted watercolor (like Payne's Grey or Raw Sienna) if you want to add a splash of tone.
Handmade Twigs and Bamboo Pens: Sharpen a few dry tree twigs from your yard using a utility knife. Dipping these raw, uneven wooden tips into ink is the secret to capturing his uniquely expressive line work.
A Pocket Sketchbook: Before working larger, carry a small book on walks to practice capturing buildings or trees in quick, 5-minute sessions, focusing strictly on movement rather than straight lines.
š” Beginner Tip: If youāre just starting your Artist Study series, donāt feel pressured by architectural precision. Kiah Kieanās genius isn't in drawing perfectly straight perspective linesāit's in knowing exactly how to let a broken line breathe life into a street scene.
Instructions
Kiah Kiean didnāt just document a location; he captured the rhythm and heartbeat of urban spaces. In a fast-paced world that relies on sterile digital photographs, Kiah Kiean's work stands as a timeless reminder that our shaky, imperfect lines hold far more life than a perfect lens.
šļø The Life Behind the Lens
Based in Penang, Malaysia, Ch'ng Kiah Kiean trained as an architect before completely transforming his relationship with lines. Realizing that rigid, structured architectural blueprints lacked the emotional soul of the streets, he pivoted fully into the world of urban sketching and fine art.
It was during his exploration of Penang's historic, weathered streets that he abandoned traditional steel nib pens altogether. By crafting his own drawing tools out of ordinary backyard twigs, he unlocked a highly expressive survival mechanism for capturing disappearing heritage spaces. His art became a human-first movement to preserve the spirit of changing neighborhoods through intuitive, raw observation.
šØ Techniques: Twig Sketching & Controlled Splatters
Kiah Kieanās style is a masterclass in dynamic line variation and balanced negative space. Here is what made his work so distinct:
The Unpredictable Twig Line: By using dry twigs dipped in Chinese ink, his lines naturally skip, puddle, and split. This ensures that no two marks are ever identical, creating a highly energetic visual texture.
The Harmony of Incomplete Shapes: He rarely closes his architectural shapes completely. A wall or a roofline is often left open to bleed into the empty paper, inviting the viewer's imagination to complete the structure.
Atmospheric Ink Splatters: He intentionally shakes his ink-soaked twigs over the paper to create random splatters and spots. This technique introduces an element of controlled chaos, mimicking the dust, movement, and natural grime of a living city street.
āØ How to "Kiah Kiean" Your Own Art (Beginner Tips)
You donāt need to be an expert illustrator to bring expressive motion into your digital or traditional work. Hereās how to start:
Embrace the Shaky Mark: Next time you sketch a building or a room, deliberately lose the ruler. Let your hand shake slightly and celebrate the wobbly lines. Allowing your linework to stay loose isn't "messy"āit's a powerful storytelling choice that gives a drawing immediate character and warmth.
Let the White Space Breathe: Don't fill every corner of your canvas. Leave large areas of the background completely blank, allowing your central sketch to simply fade out into nothingness at the edges.
Switch Your Grip: Hold your pen or Apple Pencil much further backānear the top instead of the tip. This forces you to lose total control over the fine details, naturally creating looser, more poetic marks.
š Resources for Your Journey
Virtual Visit: Explore his official portfolios online to study how he balances complex electrical wires and old shopfront architecture in his Penang series.
Watch: Urban Sketchers documentary clips showing Kiah Kiean actively whittling twigs and dipping them directly into ink bottles on location.
Tools: Look for "Splatter Paint" or "Rough Ink" brush packs for Procreate to experiment with building unpredictable ink blots on a digital screen.
š Artist Reminder: Kiah Kieanās work reminds us that we don't need expensive, high-tech art supplies to make something extraordinary. Sometimes, the most beautiful stories are told with a broken stick and a bottle of ink.
If you did this tutorial let me see your work ! Tag me @byzahraartz or @diyvinci to your work we would love to share !
1
Drawing & Sketching
Beginner
15ā30 minutes